A new comic book titled Children of War: Rise of the Bantu Kings, which tells the stories of African revolutionaries who turn into brutal dictators hanging on to power, was launched in Kampala on March 3.

Author Christian Mugarura said, “It is rare to see a president step down willingly. When it comes to maintaining peace and prosperity in an African state, it is important to involve the leaders.”

The story is set in the year 2267: Africa’s United States Confederate Provinces, ruled by the dictator President General Intare, could have a chance of freedom through the birth of twins from an ancient royal blood line. But if Intare learns of this, he would not stop till the entire royal family is dead.

Intare has ruled the continent with an iron fist for the past 50 years. His rise through the ranks of the African Union was as swift as it was brutal, with no man willing to stand against him.

The story is told in English with the cartoons carrying speech balloons. However, even though Mugarura’s characters are black Africans, some of them are replicas of Western cartoons in both appearance and clothing.

In April 2013, the Goethe-Zentrum Kampala/Uganda German Cultural Society held the first Ugandan Comic and Cartoon Contest, exhibiting works by Ugandan artists for three weeks.

Mugarura was the winner of the contest with Children of War — a culturally relevant and consistent story. As part of the winnings, the society printed Children of War. The book will be sold at major bookshops and primary schools in Kampala.

Mugarura, a cartoonist, journalist and activist discovered his fascination for comics at the age of seven, when his primary school teacher tore up a comic book belonging to his classmate, claiming that it was not proper reading. Later, he realised that drawing comics and cartoons would draw the attention of the girls in his class, which pushed him to create his own.

Mugarura says there is a market for comics in Uganda. The challenges are lack of publicity channels and distribution points, as well as the remittance of money from agents.

“I tried to approach publishers sometime back, but the terms of production were difficult. I think it was a polite way of telling me no. Publishers in Uganda are more interested in text books and the biographies of retired politicians,” he said.

Mugarura holds a Bachelors Degree in Mass Communications from Uganda Christian University. He self-published his first complete comic booklet, Tekezesasi in January 2012, designed for children. He hopes to release Children of War, Vol. 2 this June.